Afghanistan crisis: Unclear if ruthless Taliban will change, says US general
Elvita Novi Armadina
15 episodes
1 week ago
The top US general has described the Taliban as a "ruthless group" and says it is unclear whether they will change.
Gen Mark Milley said, however, it was "possible" that the US would co-ordinate with the Islamist militants on future counter-terrorism operations.
US forces withdrew from Afghanistan on Tuesday, ending America's longest war 20 years after launching an invasion to oust the Taliban.
The Islamists are now in control and expected to announce a new government.
Gen Milley was speaking alongside US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, in their first public remarks since the last troops left Afghanistan.
US President Joe Biden has been widely criticised over the abrupt manner of the withdrawal, which led to the unexpected collapse of the Afghan security forces the US had trained and funded for years.
The Taliban's lightning advance sparked off a frenetic effort to evacuate thousands of foreign nationals and local Afghans who had been working for them.
In the news conference on Wednesday, both Gen Milley and Secretary Austin praised the troops who had served in Afghanistan and the massive evacuation mission.
Asked about their co-ordination with the Taliban in getting evacuees to the airport, Mr Austin said: "We were working with the Taliban on a very narrow set of issues, and that was just that - to get as many people out as we possibly could."
"In war you do what you must in order to reduce risk to mission and force, not what you necessarily want to do," Gen Milley added.
He said it was possible that the US would co-ordinate with the Taliban on future action against Islamic State affiliate IS-K, the group which claimed an attack outside Kabul airport last week that killed as many as 170 people, including 13 US service personnel.
IS-K is the most extreme and violent of all the jihadist militant groups in Afghanistan. It has major differences with the Taliban, accusing them of abandoning jihad and the battlefield.
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The top US general has described the Taliban as a "ruthless group" and says it is unclear whether they will change.
Gen Mark Milley said, however, it was "possible" that the US would co-ordinate with the Islamist militants on future counter-terrorism operations.
US forces withdrew from Afghanistan on Tuesday, ending America's longest war 20 years after launching an invasion to oust the Taliban.
The Islamists are now in control and expected to announce a new government.
Gen Milley was speaking alongside US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, in their first public remarks since the last troops left Afghanistan.
US President Joe Biden has been widely criticised over the abrupt manner of the withdrawal, which led to the unexpected collapse of the Afghan security forces the US had trained and funded for years.
The Taliban's lightning advance sparked off a frenetic effort to evacuate thousands of foreign nationals and local Afghans who had been working for them.
In the news conference on Wednesday, both Gen Milley and Secretary Austin praised the troops who had served in Afghanistan and the massive evacuation mission.
Asked about their co-ordination with the Taliban in getting evacuees to the airport, Mr Austin said: "We were working with the Taliban on a very narrow set of issues, and that was just that - to get as many people out as we possibly could."
"In war you do what you must in order to reduce risk to mission and force, not what you necessarily want to do," Gen Milley added.
He said it was possible that the US would co-ordinate with the Taliban on future action against Islamic State affiliate IS-K, the group which claimed an attack outside Kabul airport last week that killed as many as 170 people, including 13 US service personnel.
IS-K is the most extreme and violent of all the jihadist militant groups in Afghanistan. It has major differences with the Taliban, accusing them of abandoning jihad and the battlefield.
Afghanistan crisis: Unclear if ruthless Taliban will change, says US general
1 minute 47 seconds
4 years ago
Jurnal week 6
Abortion rights march: Thousands attend rallies across US. Tens of thousands of people have been holding rallies across all 50 US states in support of abortion rights.
They have been galvanised in opposition to a new Texas law that severely limits access to abortions in the state.
Pro-choice supporters across the country fear that constitutional rights may be rolled back.
In the coming months, the Supreme Court is set to hear a case that could overturn Roe v Wade - the 1973 decision that legalised abortion nationwide. In Washington DC, demonstrators marched to the Supreme Court building, holding signs such as "Make abortion legal". The start of the rally was disrupted by some two dozen counter-demonstrators.
"The blood of innocent babies is on your hands!" shouted one man, but he was drowned out by the singing and clapping of the crowd, the Washington Post newspaper reported.
One woman who attended a march said she was there to support a woman's right to choose.
Afghanistan crisis: Unclear if ruthless Taliban will change, says US general
The top US general has described the Taliban as a "ruthless group" and says it is unclear whether they will change.
Gen Mark Milley said, however, it was "possible" that the US would co-ordinate with the Islamist militants on future counter-terrorism operations.
US forces withdrew from Afghanistan on Tuesday, ending America's longest war 20 years after launching an invasion to oust the Taliban.
The Islamists are now in control and expected to announce a new government.
Gen Milley was speaking alongside US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, in their first public remarks since the last troops left Afghanistan.
US President Joe Biden has been widely criticised over the abrupt manner of the withdrawal, which led to the unexpected collapse of the Afghan security forces the US had trained and funded for years.
The Taliban's lightning advance sparked off a frenetic effort to evacuate thousands of foreign nationals and local Afghans who had been working for them.
In the news conference on Wednesday, both Gen Milley and Secretary Austin praised the troops who had served in Afghanistan and the massive evacuation mission.
Asked about their co-ordination with the Taliban in getting evacuees to the airport, Mr Austin said: "We were working with the Taliban on a very narrow set of issues, and that was just that - to get as many people out as we possibly could."
"In war you do what you must in order to reduce risk to mission and force, not what you necessarily want to do," Gen Milley added.
He said it was possible that the US would co-ordinate with the Taliban on future action against Islamic State affiliate IS-K, the group which claimed an attack outside Kabul airport last week that killed as many as 170 people, including 13 US service personnel.
IS-K is the most extreme and violent of all the jihadist militant groups in Afghanistan. It has major differences with the Taliban, accusing them of abandoning jihad and the battlefield.
